Incarnís
by The Wayfaring Strangers
Summary: "Rise, Incarnís, vassal of the Sith." An altered Duel means an altered Galaxy, and the Dark Side taints all that it touches. Nonslash. AU of The Phantom Menace through The Revenge of the Sith. Chapter 9 is now up - See notice at bottom. On hiatus, sorry.
1. Requiem, a Prologue

**Alright, this story has been in the works for...a long time. We are very proud of it. *benevolent smile* Warning: this part is _angsty_! But it will get better. Eventually...This WILL be about Obi and Ani and don't you DARE think we would write slash. *ahem* Star Wars belongs to...someone else.  
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><p>Obi-wan Kenobi had failed. He had failed the people of Naboo, he had failed a small boy named Anakin, and he had failed Qui-Gon Jinn.<p>

Obi-Wan would _not_ cry. Only younglings did that. Besides, somehow, Maul was no doubt watching him...

_Master._

A single tear traced it's path down his bruised cheek, defying the Padawan's attempts at stoicism. He did nothing as it ran slowly down his face. Not that he could have if he had wanted too, for his arms had been secured behind his back with cold binders.

And now, he would fail the Code. But he didn't care. Not any more. Actually, he hadn't cared about the Code since Maul's saber had ripped, impossibly, through Master Qui-Gon. But now, uncounted hours later, he could no longer keep his heartache at bay. Obi-Wan's heart had been numbed, but now he was starting to feel. Not through the Force, because someone, probably Maul, had inhibited his connection to it.

Feelings. Feelings and memories began to wash over him...

_Too late he ran. Too late he called on the Force and pushed the triumphant, sneering Sith away...Down...But it didn't matter then. Too late he came to his Master's side. Obi-Wan cradled the dying man in his arms, telling himself that it couldn't be true. Qui-Gon Jinn could not die. Not now, not like this! What of the boy? What of his own training? But he could feel his Master's Force presence dimming...fading to a single flame, a small light, almost snuffed out. But not alone. Not while his Apprentice was there._

_"Master! you're going to be okay!" Obi-Wan said, and added, "I'm going to get you out of here."_

_"Obi-Wan..." Qui-Gon whispered, "the Sith..."_

_"He fell, Master. "  
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_There was, for a moment, terrible silence. But then...  
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_"I'm sorry Obi-Wan...sorry to leave you..."_

_The Padawan shook his head. "No. Master! You're going to be fine. Everything is going to be...alright." He tried to smile. "It always is."_

_"Look at me." His Master's voice grew fainter as a calloused hand trailed gently down his Padawan's face. _

_"Obi-Wan. Train the boy. For me. He is...the Chosen One."_

_"Yes_ _Master." Was all the miserable Padawan could get out. Tears ran freely down his face. Qui-Gon was like a father to him and now he was dying. Dying as Obi-Wan sat helplessly beside him. He reached through the Force, sensing his Master's spirit ebb away..._

_"My Padawan...farewell. Know that I loved you as a son."_

_"Master." A desperate whisper escaped the Padawan. He was not even aware that he spoke._

_There was no answer, only a faint flicker down their bond.  
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_And for a moment, nothing. _

_ Not a Jedi's calm, but sheer emptiness...and in that nothingness, a silent requiem.  
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_But then the Force began to flicker and hum, warning Obi-Wan of something he did not want to face..._

_The red and black smear that was the Sith's sneering visage invaded his vision._

_"You are mine now."_

_Pain exploded in Obi-Wan's head and dark oblivion took him._

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><p><em>So here I am.<em> He thought bitterly_. Another failure. _Even if he could escape from...Where was he? Obi-Wan didn't know, but that was alright, Master Qui-Gon would-

He forced down a sob.

There was no reason to fight, no reason to try. The Jedi would not take him back. He had _failed._ Besides, he was almost certainly presumed dead. There was no reason. Except one.

_Vengeance._

No._ No! _That wasn't the Jedi way. That was the Dark Side. And perhaps, what Maul wanted. But it didn't matter, Master Qui-Gon _would_ be avenged. He would kill Maul.

Then Obi-Wan Kenobi would die.

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><p><strong>There! First chappie!<strong> ** The next one will be about Ani and should have some fluff. ** **Please review. We must know what you think! ;)**

**~RandomCelt & DarthMihi**


	2. Vengeance

_**A/N: Yay! Second chapter!**_

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><p>Anakin Skywalker was happy.<p>

Actually, ecstatic would be a better word...

Not that he knew what that meant.

He had single-handedly blown up the Trade Federation Command ship! And he had gotten to fly one of those awesome Naboo fighters! And now he was sitting with Padmé in one of the pretty gardens around the palace. And she was listening to his whole story, and she hadn't interrupted him once to tell him he was exaggerating!

Mister Qui-Gon was gonna be mad though... He had told Anakin, "Don't leave this cockpit." And Anakin had done as he asked, but he had the feeling this was going to be one of those letter-of-the-law as opposed to spirit-of-the-law things...but Mister Qui-Gon had _said_...

His attention went back to Padmé. She hadn't been paying much attention to him, and she seemed worried.

"So anyway, we - Padmé? Padmé? Are you listening?"

"Yes Ani. You were telling me how big the explosion was."

"You _aren't_! I was telling you how fast Artoo and me flew outta there."

"Oh...sorry Ani." She was _still_ distracted. Something was wrong. Padmé _always_ paid attention to him. Even when no one else did.

"Padmé? Why's everybody worried? I blew up the Command ship, and all the droids are broken. What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong Ani." She sounded happy now, but she was probably doing that on purpose.

"But Padmé, you're distracted and worried. And now you're not telling me something." Aha! That got a reaction. Now she would stop pretending. Padmé sighed.

"It's just...I'm worried. The Jedi should be back. And what happened to that...thing that was trying to assassinate the queen. What if...? Never mind. They're _Jedi_." She didn't sound happy now. Actually, she sounded as worried as she felt.

Oh. He hadn't thought about that. Where were the Jedi? Where was Mister Qui-Gon and his...son? No, apprentice, that's what Padmé called him, and she was _always_ right. Anakin was sure they had defeated the red man. They were _Jedi_, and they _never_ lost.

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><p>Padmé was surprised. Anakin Skywalker was a <em>very<em> perceptive boy. Either that or she, Padmé Nabérrie Amidala, was much more distracted than she thought. Anakin had noticed her worry, but she hadn't been showing it on her face, had she? Yes, Anakin was very perceptive for his age, but he was not in other ways mature. But he was a sweet little boy. She loved being around him, hearing him tell stories, watching his animated face. But he hated it when she watched him. He said she thought he was cute. And she did, but never mind.

But Captain Panaka was coming. She wasn't needed for some time was she? Padmé glanced at her wrist chrono. No, the Queen was not needed. Not for another hour at least. What was it then?

The Jedi.

A sinking feeling began to fill her and she asked, "What is it, Captain?"

Panaka drew her away from Anakin before speaking. "Milady, we have...news of the Jedi."

News _of_ the Jedi? That did _not_ sound good. "What happened to them? Is the assassin dead?" Padmé was very worried now. Had they...died? But that seemed impossible.

"Yes Milady, as far as we know, the assassin is dead." His voice sounded heavy, as if he dreaded what he had to say next. "One of the Jedi is certainly dead, but the other appears to have fallen down the shaft, and taken the assassin with him."

"Are you sure he is dead? Is there no way to retrieve the bodies?" Part of her knew what was coming, but the other part was still in shock. Both Jedi dead? And Obi-Wan was so cute! Sabé would be devastated! And she had just started being able to see past the Jedi Mask, to realize that they were somewhat ordinary, and now they were dead! She abent-mindedly wondered why she was not sad. Then Padmé realized she must be numb.

"How?" Padmé asked quietly.

"We don't know. There were no witnesses. And the assassin took out the surveillance."

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><p>It had been easy, really. After he'd killed the master, the Padawan had been too angry to think straight. Either that, or he was an idiot.<p>

Well, all Jedi were idiots.

They tried to use the flimsy Light Side, and were still surprised when they lost. It was amusing to kill them, they were always so shocked to see a Sith that they rarely fought back. These two had though. In fact, they had actually escaped from him once.

Once.

The tattooed Sith smiled. He would make that little Jedi kung _pay_ for what Sidious had done to him. Maul would take him back to Sidious. Because Lord Sidious _knew_ how to inflict payment. Yes, lord Sidious would be most pleased with him.

Sidious was rarely pleased with him.

Maul frowned. He wasn't exactly sure why, but for some reason, his master seemed to be continually irritated with him. Oh well, that would change. He palmed open the cell door. _ Time to meet the Master, little Jedi kung.  
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The Sith hauled the Jedi whelp onto his feet, but the little weakling slid back down so that Maul was dragging him. Maul tried again several times with the same results. Oh well, if the Jedi wanted to be dragged, let him be dragged. He was wasting Maul's time.

The tattooed Sith dragged the weakling down a long hall, and into an impressively large room with a vaulted ceiling. Sidious's personal meeting room.

"Master, I have brought him."

"Very good. I shall be there soon." Replied Sidious through his com.

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><p>The Sith was coming. He needed a plan. He would play unconscious, and see what Maul did. The Sith pushed a button concealed somewhere on his person, and Obi-Wan limply fell to the floor. Maul grabbed him, and attempted to haul the Padawan to his feet several times. Eventually, he gave up and, grabbing Obi-Wan's binders, began to tow him down a long hallway.<p>

Obi-Wan quietly raised his head. His captor was dragging him face down, and Obi-Wan wanted to try and guess where he was.

He felt something. _ The Force! The inhibitor must be waring off._ That would certainly make things easier. The Padawan eyed Maul's saber staff. If he was careful...He stretched out his hand, slowly separating the two sabers with the Force. Maul had better not be sensing him right now, or this plan was toast. One of the sabers dropped, and he quickly caught it, using the Force to slide it far down his sleeve. He went carefully limp again as the Sith palmed open two huge doors. They entered a spacious room, but there was no one in it, besides the Jedi and the Sith. Maul threw Obi-Wan to the floor, and said into his wrist com, "Master, I have brought him."

So Maul was only an apprentice, like him. But if Maul was the apprentice, who was the Master?

The Padawan's thoughts were interrupted by a spidery voice from Maul's com.

"Very good. I shall be there soon."

Well then, if he was going to kill Maul, he had better do it now, before the Master arrived, or the apprentice noticed his missing saber. Maul was still faced away from him, so he broke his binders as quietly as possible, and produced the stolen saber from his sleeve.

The Padawan stood, and the Sith must have seen it, for he turned.

Turned, and was cut down by his own saber, a look of complete surprise forever on his tattooed face.

His captor was dead. Obi-Wan was rather shocked. It had been that easy. That easy to kill the monster that ended his Master's life. He stared down at the severed body for a moment, fascinated by the horror of it.

And the door opened.

_**Dunn dunn DUNN! A cliffie. The next chappie should explain a lot of things that may not have made sense. Also, we are going on vacation, so we will be out of the loop until Monday. :( As always, reviews will be greatly appreciated**__** a**__**nd any flamer(s) will be fed to the Raging Cheese.**_

_**~DarthMihi & RandomCelt**_


	3. The Beginning and the End

***Furtively peeks around door* Sorry! This one took _forever. _ All we can say is that we were super busy and well...yeah. *cringe* This chapter starts the plot twist.**

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><p>Padmé didn't understand.<p>

How could the Jedi have died? Master Jinn had said the assassin wasn't much of a threat, so how had he defeated the Jedi? Unless Master Jinn had just said that to reassure her. Yes, that must had been why. But why had she believed him? Usually she could tell when she was being lied to.

_Oh. Stupid. Force._

At least, Padmé mused that the Force must be to blame...to some extent. Either that, of she had been spending too much time around the Jedi. Blaming the Force for something she didn't really understand sounded like a sign of that...

But that was what people always did. Blame what they didn't understand for their problems. Padmé frowned at the thought. It was her belief that most, if not all problems could be resolved through proper understanding.

Padmé's exposition of her beliefs was cut short by the announcement of the arrival of the Jedi Council. Now she would have to look the part of the impassive queen. And maybe think it too. This _was_ the Jedi Council, the epitome of freaky Jedi power. _Ahem_. Jedi power.

A new question came to mind. Would the Jedi still train little Ani? The boy had told her that the Council hadn't really wanted to, but that Master Jinn said he would take him. But now master Jinn was...not an option. And if the Jedi didn't take Anakin, who would? She supposed that she could provide for him, but her people would no doubt consider it strange that she should raise an orphan boy who was not even from Naboo.

She was frowning again.

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><p>Somewhere within the Jedi Temple sat a Jedi. He was trying to meditate. He really was. But somehow, in his warm, bright, too-quiet quarters, a Jedi's peace wouldn't come.<p>

Because Jedi Knight Sho'tan Neziha was irritated at the Council.

Sho'tan was irritated because_ irritation_ was not anger, and therefore was not the Jedi equivalent of heresy. The Council was decidedly against training the boy that Qui-Gon had found. But no matter he thought. Sho'tan had dared to count Qui-Gon as a friend and knew the master would not follow the Council, if necessary.

But Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn was dead.

And now his little protege would most likely be sent to Bandomeer - unless someone volunteered to train him. Sho'tan shook his head, lekku swinging. _I've never even trained a Padawan before. What if I fail? There will be plenty of opportunity. _The Twi'lek rested his earth green head in his hands. _No one else wants to. They say he is too old, too full of emotion. Too curious._ _Too foolish._ And the list went on...

But he was only a youngling. Surely they remembered being so_ young_ themselves? With so much to learn...

_Hypocrites. _

No, he sighed, the Council were not hypocrites. They simply could not see beyond the Jedi traditions_. _But Qui-Gon could. And he did. He had. The Knight sighed again, scrubbing calloused fingers across almond eyes. Qui-Gon would be hard to forget. Memories of the tall Master washed over him.

_Mentor._

_Teacher.  
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_Friend._

Council or no Council, Sho'tan Neziha would train Anakin Skywalker, train Qui-Gon's little foundling...

_Train the Chosen One._

The Knight stood, intent on his new purpose. He would inform the Council of his intentions, and perhaps, he would meet the boy on Naboo, and be allowed to attend Qui-Gon's funeral with Master Windu. Yes, he would like to say goodbye to an old friend.

On board a shuttle bound for Naboo, Sho'tan had plenty of time for reflection. Too much time, in fact. Whenever he paused from his pacing, memories and questions flooded his mind. Qui-Gon at least, would have an honorable funeral, but his Padawan's body had not been recovered. Of course, he too would have a funeral pyre, for that was only fitting. But the question gnawed at the Twi'lek: Was Obi-Wan really dead?

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><p>Obi-Wan felt panic blossom within him as the massive door swung on it's silent hinges.<p>

_This is the Master..._

_This is the end._

A shadowy figure swept into the room. Obi-Wan absently noticed that the man was short - even more so than himself. But in his stride, in the aura he projected, Obi-Wan read great power. And greater Darkness. Then the master spoke_. _

"Well, well, well..."

His voice was quiet, but the room echoed with his arrogance. Obi-Wan's only response was a step backwards. The Sith advanced, countering the Jedi's retreat. Obi-Wan's gaze returned to the red blade in his hand. Still glowing. The Sith sighed, and reached out with the Dark Side, snatching Darth Maul's saber from his hand. But Obi-Wan _wouldn't_ let go. This was his only defense and his only chance.

"Give me that, Child." The voice almost paternal, but deep within his cowl, the Sith's sickly yellow eyes glinted with hidden malice.

There was a distinct snapping sound and pain exploded in Obi-Wan's arm. He was dimly aware of Maul's saber clattering out of his throbbing hand and rolling away across the dark floor.

The Sith's voice floated into his ears, assaulting his heart with cold dread.

"Foolish young one. Give me your allegiance."

The Padawan took a deep breath as his heartbeat pounded in his ears. He knew that his refusal would be the last thing he ever said. He was sure now; there was no way out of this nightmare. Obi-Wan opened his mouth to tell the Sith that he was evil, that the Dark Side would never triumph that the Light Side was all he would ever serve- but no words would come.

So he simply shook his head, padawan braid swinging mournfully. He noticed dimly that there were tears rolling down his face, and reproached himself for being so weak.

The Sith's yellowed gaze carried a mixture of false pity and and sheer anger that froze the blood in Obi-Wan's veins.

"Oh, but you _will_ serve me, whether or not you want it. What you want has no meaning at all."

Blue lightning filled Obi-Wan's vision. He should have ducked, he should have moved - but he couldn't. The angry, beautiful, blue hypnotized him in the split-second that he could have done anything, and then it was pain.

Pain that ravaged his body and drove him to his knees. Pain that seared his heart and mind. Pain that knocked aside his mental barriers. He felt complete panic take over as the Sith's voice resonated inside his mind.

_You will serve me and you will bow to me. I control everything. You have nothing, not even your name._

Obi-Wan drew his strength together._ I am a Jedi._ He gritted his teeth._ I am a Jedi and I. Will. Never. Submit. _

_Oh really. _The Sith was mocking him now._ You are what I say you are, and I say you are **mine**!  
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Obi-wan fought blindly, trying to thrust the Dark presence from his mind. But it was useless. The Sith's vast mind was far to strong for him. Fresh waves of pain washed over Obi-Wan and he realized that the Sith was sorting through his memories...and that most of them were draining away...

As darkness claimed him, a thought somehow wound through his shattered mind. The Sith was taking away his memories. If he woke up again, he not be Obi-Wan Kenobi.

He could not be, ever again.

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><p>Hey everybody! Go vote on our poll to choose which characters will have cameos in the upcoming chapter!<p>

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><p><strong><em>dun Dun DUNN! <em> ****Thus begins are amnesia plot twist. This part is probably as dark as this story is going to get. Poor Obi. **

**RandomCelt is slightly miffed that her OC, Sho'tan Nezihi the Twi'lek Knight was eclipsed by Obi angst. But maybe its better that way. No Gary Stus for thewayfaringstrangers!** ** Sho'tan will play a minor role. We would greatly appreciate feedback on this chapter. It was difficult to write...and RandomCelt wants to know if you like Sho'tan! ;)**

**~RandomCelt & DarthMihi  
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	4. Of Plans and Pyres

_*****_**plays fanfare* We give you...Chapter Four! **

And guys, reviews make me tick. We have had to ask for all but 2 1/2 reviews. I am very uninspired without them, so if you like this story, please click the button at the bottom. I don't care if it's just one word. I need those reviews to keep going! Please, please PLEASE! ~DarthMihi *ahem* sorry, read on.**  
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><p>Sidious had been rushed.<p>

And he hated being rushed. It had been the Jedi's fault, of course. The Sith lord had not anticipated the little apprentice to avenge himself so quickly. And it _had_ been revenge. The Jedi were fools to deny it. But he knew that already. It was confirmed in his mind with every decision made by their little green troll.

Revenge was only natural, and he had expected it, just not yet. He hated it when he was wrong. No...no. He was never _wrong_, per say, only sometimes he...miscalculated, yes, that was the right word. Because he was a Sith lord: there was no one in the galaxy more powerful than him.

And all powerful beings were _never_ wrong.

So the Jedi must pay for his mistake. Because it_ had_ been the Jedi's mistake. When it came to Jedi and Sith, Jedi were always wrong. And the incompetence of his servants must be punished. For the Jedi was his servant now.

Weakling.

The Sith snorted to himself. He would have to fix that. Never mind. It would come in time. Patience, he reminded himself. There was none of the hurry that he hated. He had all the time that the galaxy laid at his feet.

This Jedi would become his little experiment. He had never tried this kind of thing, taking apart a mind and reconstructing the way he wanted it to be. It made him feel powerful. Only the Force could decide the fate of men in such a way. And he had done it. Therefore, he, Darth Sidious, _was_ the will of the Force. He need wait on it no longer. He was the Force, he was _power._ And what else could he want?

An hour later, The Sith lord's mood of cheer was gone.

That foolish little Jedi had ruined his plans. He had killed Sidious's apprentice, leaving the Sith with no replacement. No replacement save the boy himself, and the Jedi was weak. The dark lord of the Sith would not be able to fully train him in the Dark Side for several years, at least. But, the Dark lord stewed, perhaps he would be more open to the Dark Side with no memory of the Light in which he was raised. With a little hatred, a little anger, he would embrace the darkness. And Sidious would teach him how to hate, if the Jedi would learn nothing else. The boy was strong in the Force for his age, though nothing compared with Maul. But he must have been resourceful in order to obtain Maul's saber.

More resourceful than Maul.

But, the Sith reflected darkly, that would not have been much of a feat. Maul had been Sidious's nightmare, a scare tactic, but he had not been good at adapting, at pulling himself out of the situations that his own stupidity had gotten himself into. And his Master had always had to come along and cover up the conspicuous trail that the hulking Zabrak left behind. That was servant's work, but he had no servants skilled enough for the job, so he had done it himself. It would be refreshing to have someone who was not such a dimwit, and would not be in danger of spoiling Sidious's plans by merely leaving his strong hold on Coruscant. Someone who would learn from Sidious more than that which gave one only raw strength. Someone who would leave no traces to obliterate. He would train this one to be silent and careful, to lurk in the shadows, instead of crushing all in his path and moving on. The Dark lord could learn from his...miscalculations.

Sidious would give the Jedi a chance.

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><p>There was pain. There was darkness. But that was only natural, for he had been...asleep? He opened his eyes.<p>

Grey.

Everything was grey. Walls, floor, and ceiling. The room was small, he decided. Although, he didn't remember anything to compare it to. But why would he do that? He had never compared anything else. Or, at least, he didn't remember...something about that was strange...but what? He was confused.

So confused. He pulled himself to his feet, a dizzy feeling overtaking him. _Ughhh...What happened?_

Footsteps rang, somewhere beyond his sight.._.a hallway?_ He froze, wondering what was going on. But nothing happened- the seconds drained away in a world where time seemed unimportant. Filled with a strange sense of foreboding, he returned to the bed, and waited._  
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><p>Anakin was in shock.<p>

He stared numbly at the flames writhing before him. In all the things he had imagined, nothing had even come close to this.

_Death._

Anakin had seen people die, but somehow, this was different. This was someone who never should have died. Someone who couldn't die. Someone who he loved. Someone who held his future. But there he was. Burning. And the boy knew that mister Qui-Gon was dead.

There were court people all around him, but he felt alone. Also, there was the tall, brown Jedi who had been on the Council. The one who had asked him all the questions, he remembered. but Anakin had sensed the man's dislike of him. He was alone now. No, Pamde was there, but she was the Queen now, and he couldn't get to her.

He _was_ alone.

Sudden anger overtook him. How could Mister Qui-Gon die on him? He was a Jedi, and they never died, and they never broke their promises either.

But this Jedi had done both.

What would Anakin do now? He had sensed how the other Jedi disliked him. He fervently hoped the Jedi wouldn't send him back to Tattooine. But he was free now, they _couldn't_ do that! Would Padme take care of him? That would be wizard! But she was the Queen. She probably didn't have time for him. Anakin slumped at the thought. He had thought she was different. That she actually was a handmaiden. But she _did_ care about him...and that was everything.

The young boy's attention was drawn back to the flames. He stared at them, seeking a last glimpse of the man who was to have trained him. A tear ran down his cheek. Qui-Gon...

He wondered why the Jedi burned their dead. It scared him to look into the fire and see someone he knew, burning...dead. And he had to keep looking at Master Jinn...he had to watch until everything about the Jedi that he recognized was burned to ashes, and all that was left was a smoking pyre. Because he wouldn't ever see Mister Qui-Gon again.

_Never again._

Another tear.

Where was Padme? Anakin suddenly wished very badly to be standing beside her. She was the only one left. Mister Qui-Gon's...padawan was dead too. They hadn't found his body, so they burned his lightsaber instead, on a pyre, next to his Master. The cool night air washed over him, and he shivered. Then he noticed another Jedi standing behind him, the dignity of tradition making the Twi'lek stand tall. Anakin almost did a double take. This person was green! The greenest thing he had seen...ever, he decided. The green Twi'lek offered him a small bittersweet smile. Anakin guessed that was all he could do.

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><p>The cool Naboo dusk was beautiful. But it was twilight... The end of this day, even as it was the end for Qui-Gon Jinn and his Padawan. Poetic, Sho'tan mused.<p>

He entered the courtyard quietly, for the service was already begun. The two flaming pyres made a striking contrast with the darkening sky behind them, but this was lost on the newly arrived Jedi. There was nothing beautiful about death.

The Twi'lekki knight came to stand behind Skywalker, his new charge. The boy was staring into the fire, and didn't appear to notice him. But that was just as well, he supposed. This was a time for remembering the fallen, not introducing those left behind.

Sho'tan took deep breath, and wondered if this was what attachment felt like. A flitting thought turned to certainty in his mind. He had most assuredly been attached to Qui-Gon Jinn. The Twi' lek inwardly berated himself, but then stopped wondering again. ...Was it truly wrong to care about someone, to miss them when they were gone? For no rational being, he mused, could rejoice at the passing of one he named friend'...

He shook his lekkued head free of such thoughts. Qui-Gon would have told him to focus on the present. And truly, there was much to focus on. Like keeping Sky-_Anakin _from being shipped off to Bandomeer.

Then a small voice inquired, "Master Jedi?"

Sho'tan looked down. It was Anakin, of course. "What is it, young one?" the Jedi answered, trying to smile warmly. The boy gazed up at him, fear hidden in his tear-stained azure eyes.

"What's gonna happen to me?"

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><p>Please check out our poll to vote on which characters you want to show up in the upcoming chapters.<p>

**There! We made it happen. Aren't you proud of us? *happy dance* Yeah. Anyway... **

**Just to clear things up, that little paragraph that seemingly made no sense is Obi POV, if you are confused. Remember, he has amnesia. That should get cleared up in the next chapter. RandomCelt sincerely hopes that Sho'tan is making sense here. He isn't as ...rouge as Qui-Gon, but he sometimes questions the Code/Council. We REALLY need some feedback about him. And in general, we are getting very few reviews for our hits. It's very depressing. So please, if you are reading this, and you like our fic, hate it, whatever - please, PLEASE click the wee little button and tell us what you think. **

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**~DarthMihi & RandomCelt  
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	5. Master And Apprentice

**_A/N: This chap is long because it's a contrast between Ani and Obi. And because we took so long to write it... :/ _**_We respond to all reviews...just sayin'!__  
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><p>Anakin decided this must be what flying felt like.<p>

He was running down a long, smooth hall way, running as fast as he could. Actually, this was much faster than Anakin had ever imagined he _could_ run.

_Flying!_

There was no sand to bog down his feet, only smooth stone stretching out in front of him. There were no Jedi to stop him either. Anakin had been careful to check on that. Not that it mattered anyway. Who could catch him? He knew, in a vague sort of way, that he should not be running in the Temple. But why not, he wondered? What could happen?

Anakin just had time to register that he was fast approaching a small, green speed bump. But there was no stopping now-

**_WHUMP!_**

He slammed painfully into the green thing and went rolling across the hall for a few feet. The whatever-it-was ended up on top. Not good.

Anakin finally got a good look and at the green thing. It looked kinda like Master Yoda, only it had reddish hair and slightly less wrinkles. Suddenly it dawned on Anakin with horror that this was Master Yaddle. Master Sho'tan had told Anakin about her. About how she was the crankiest Jedi _ever_. A panicky feeling clutched him. He sensed that his explanation would not go over well.

The boy hastily scrambled to his feet, a blush already creeping to his cheeks. "Master Yaddle! I'm so sorry! I...didn't see you." He offered her a hand, but it was smacked away.

Wrong thing to say. The small master stood up faster than Anakin had expected and, before he had any inkling of what was coming, she had thwacked him hard on the head with her gimer stick. It passed through his head that Jedi probably weren't supposed to do that.

"Mow me down without care you have, and then, insult my size you did! No manners you younglings are taught anymore... But Yaddle can teach manners!"

She looked angry. Instinctively, Anakin retreated a few steps, touching his head gingerly. He wasn't risking being near that stick again. He would have defended his case, but something told him that this Jedi wouldn't believe him. Then Master Yaddle took a step forward, countering his backward step. Anakin took two steps back, checking for the wall behind him. It was closer than he would like, only five steps away.

Time to change tactics.

Anakin's options at this point were very limited. Basically, he could run in one of two directions. And since one choice ended in wall, that left only one way to go. Sideways, and around. Now the master who most would think small had considerably narrowed the distance between her and her intended target.

Anakin ran.

He was, if possible, going faster than he had been before, but a hundred feet had elapsed, with little gain on Anakin's part. Master Yaddle was about four feet away from him, waving her stick madly, and not looking winded in the slightest.

If she caught him, who knew how long it could be before she released him. She would probably maul him with her evil walking stick. And then she would report him to the Council for attacking her, or something crazy like that, and Anakin would have to meditate for the rest of his life!

_Faster!_ He had to.

But there was no escape. He was doomed.

'_Master Sho'tan!'_

* * *

><p>Sho'tan Neziha had been having a tolerably quiet day. Quiet, by his new padawan-adjusted standards, but certainly not by his old standards of quiet. Life was never...<em>serene<em> with Anakin as one's padawan. Even if there was nothing deserving of alarm at the moment, there was almost always a guarantee of unrest in the near future._  
><em>

But Anakin had carved himself a place in Sho'tan's heart. A large one, actually. The boy was fiercely loyal to those who had stood up for him in his new life, and Sho'tan couldn't help but return that loyalty.

_'Master Sho'tan!'_

What was that? Never mind, it must've been Anakin. Sho'tan was still adjusting to their bond.

_'Padawan!_ _What happened?'_ Then the Twi'lek sensed the rising wave of panic from his padawan and added '_I'm coming!' _

He had taken the boy as an apprentice to protect him, and he wasn't going to stop now. He charged out of his apartment, only to realize that he didn't know which way to go. '_Where are you, Padawan?'_

_'She's chasing me!'  
><em>

Sho'tan blinked in surprise._ 'Come again, Anakin?'  
><em>

The reply was completely panic-stricken_,_ and almost incoherent._ 'I'm doomed!'_

* * *

><p><em>Why? <em>

Incarnís found himself asking that question often_. _There was so much he didn't understand, so much to learn. Sidious had spent hours and hours with him, teaching about the Force and it's wielders. Incarnís was fascinated by their histories.

The Sith Master had told him many times that the Sith were right, and the Jedi were wrong. The man whom Incarnís was to call master told him often that the Jedi were weak and foolish, often overseeing the activity of the Sith, or passing it off as unimportant. But the Sith worked always in secret, behind the backs of the unknowing Jedi. The Sith were powerful and wise, or that was what Sidious said. But Incarnís was beginning to have his doubts about Sidious. Why was he supposed to address him as master? And, if the Sith were all-knowing and wise, why did they work behind the Jedi's backs, instead of obliterating them completely? Incarnís also wondered why Sidious felt that it was so necessary to remind him of the supremacy of the Sith over and over again. Incarnís rarely forgot what Sidious told him.

Speaking of Sidious, Incarnís heard footsteps in the hall...his footsteps. The young man sighed, preparing himself for the agony that would soon follow, this time in the shape of peculiar blue lightning that seemed to emanate from Sidious's fingers.

_Why? Why do you do this to me? Perhaps, you do not know how much it hurts?_

Incarnís shook his head, trying to clear of the confusing and unhelpful thoughts that almost always cluttered it. He was so confused, surely Sidious knew what was best. For truly _he_ did not. The young man sighed again.

He rubbed his poor, confused head. _ How can you be both my teacher and my torturer? _

But Sidious said that the strange lightning was to teach him...teach the Dark Side, whatever that was. Sidious said that it was the best thing that he could achieve. But Incarnís didn't like it at all. It seemed cruel and cold, and somehow, horribly hungry, like it wished to devour him whole.

All consuming. He shuddered._  
><em>

But who was _he_ to question Sidious, a man so obviously wiser than his frequently confused self?

_Who am I, anyway? _

And he wondered why he did not remember.

Incarnís' thoughts were prevented from further rambling by the entry of his 'Master'. More training. Joy.

* * *

><p><em>'Master Sho'tan! Yaddle's gonna kill me!'<em>

_'Master Yaddle, Padawan, Master Yaddle is going to...ANAKIN! What did you do?'  
><em>

_'HELP!'  
><em>

* * *

><p><em>Faugh.<br>_

Sidious was annoyed. And that did not bode well for Incarnís. Be that as it may. Sidious was not pleased with his experiment's progress in accepting the Dark Side. The Sith inwardly sighed. He should've known Kenobi would still reject power, even with no memory of the foolish Jedi who raised him. The Dark Lord would not dispose of him just yet though. Because then The Sith would lose the long-term effects of his experiment. So he would leave him alive.

For now.

Besides, the boy was bound to turn to his side eventually. He was strong in the Force, and would be useful when the time came. But Sidious would need a short term pawn. Someone to scare the Jedi. A servant.

Sidious was pulled from his scheming by the realization that Incarnís was staring at him. He did that too often. Incarnís stared at every one and everything-flinching and lowering his gaze when they stared back.

Sidious was beginning to suspect that the boy might even be able to detect his Master's emotions now, which was not to The Dark lord's advantage.

So Sidious stared back.

Incarnís blinked and looked away.

His master smiled.

The Master was victorious. He always was.

But now for a new lesson. Sidious wished to see how Incarnís would react to someone other than himself. The Master needed an Apprentice, and this one wasn't ready. Meanwhile, the Force was whispering of darkness and disquiet - it seemed that a powerful Jedi was flirting with the Dark Side.  
><em>Excellent.<br>_Soon, this Jedi...Master Dooku, would join him in the _true_ way of the Force. The Foolish Jedi. Always aspiring to what they could not attain: the absence of emotion and attachment.

...And when, disillusioned, they realized the impossibility of their goal, so much the better for him.

Again, the Dark Lord smiled.

It was sight to strike fear into all who opposed him.

* * *

><p>Sho'tan stopped, and moved farther down his bond with Anakin, trying to calm the boy enough to get some sense out of him, while not letting on that Anakin had scared Sho'tan.<p>

_'Padawan, where are you? It's going to be alright. What happened?'_

His thought rushed down the bond in a jumbled order. As he grew more intent on his padawan, Sho'tan was able to tell that the boy was running. _  
><em>

_'Master, I'm alright...for now. I, well, I made Master Yaddle mad, and now she's chasing me down some long hall somewhere, and I can't lose her! How come she can run so fast? I mean, isn't she as old as Master Yoda?'_

Sho'tan chuckled in spite of himself. The danger, though pressing, was not nearly as bad as he had thought.

_'I'll be right there, Padawan'_ He sent back through their bond, masking his amusement as best he could.

* * *

><p>An hour later and one short, passified, green Jedi Master later, Master Sho'tan Nezziha and his padawan could be seen walking down one of the long tranquil halls of the Temple.<p>

"Whew. Thanks Master. I didn't know you were any good at negotiations."

"Indeed, my Padawan, there is a time for everything." His master replied. "And you are very welcome. However, I recommend caution in the presence of good Master Yaddle for some time, if not always. And you have much to tell me."

Anakin looked embarrassed, and hung his head. Then he sighed, and began "Well, see, there was this long hall, and there was nobody there, so I uh, started running."

His Master's only reply was to raise a green eyebrow.

Anakin looked up at him, sighed, and continued. "So I was running for...a long time. But then there was this thing, and I couldn't stop, so I hit it, and I think it was Master Yaddle. Anyway, she was really mad, and she whacked me good with that stick she always has. So I ran away, cuz I didn't know what she was gonna do to me, but she chased me, and I couldn't lose her. Then I called you, I guess."

Anakin had been talking faster and faster, as if he just wanted to get it over. After this, he looked up at his master with a quavering smile. "Thanks Master."

Sho'tan put his hand on Anakin's shoulder and said with a wry smile, "Would you believe she is known for that?"

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: Ok, guys, We're sorry this took so long. Thanks to everyone who reviewed and voted on the pole. We went to a speech tournament, where you get up early and go to bed late. Not to mention all the emotion. And before the tournament, we both had slight writers block. Anyway, remember my plea last time about reviews...and thanks again to everyone who read that...**_

Please don't forget to vote on our pole!  
>Oh yeah, and please review, we love to know what you think!<p>

_**Mihi and Celt**_


	6. Pawn?

**Hello..?* *cringes* Just read it... Sorry this took long. Really, honest, we are... But I (DarthMihi) am also happy. I figured it out. I had writer's block (hence the lack of chaps). However, I figured out that Clone Wars is my muse! (yeah, how lame is that) There weren't any epis, and I had no inspiration. Then I watched the season 5 trailer and it was like *BAM* I can write! This chapter was written pretty much in one day. And the next one has a good start to it.  
><strong>

* * *

><p>The stone walls were silent, as always, and the only sound was the wind sighing through the stunted trees. Serenno was nearly always like this, quiet and serene, despite all that happened here. The planet sought to carry away all the dark doings of it's illustrious Count in the soft wind.<p>

Incarnís had been standing here observing for a tolerably long time. Not that it was any reason to stop. He liked Serenno. Or, he liked it better than being with Sidious. Here, at least he could go outside, and lose himself in the huge forest. Of course, he had not actually been lost since the first few times he left...

But he still told Dooku that he actually had been. It was a good excuse to have some time away from his new master.

Of course, this Dooku was better than Sidious. It was strange though. Some things Incarnís did seemed to remind Dooku of someone, and The Sith had been pleased. But Incarnís had never managed to decide exactly what he had done to please. And when he asked Dooku questions, the Sith seemed angry, though not always at Incarnís. And he couldn't puzzle out who else Dooku could be angry at, or more importantly, _why_. Incarnís had just come from speaking with his new master, and Dooku had given him much to think about.

He remembered.

_Incarnís watched Dooku's eyes. That was the only way to tell whether the Sith would answer his question. But it was only a simple question. _

_"Why?"  
><em>

_Why had Sidious done this to him? For something had been done, that much he knew. Why was there nothing? There was nothing, when he looked back into his memories.  
><em>

_He waited.  
><em>

_Dooku turned slowly to face him, all of the majesty of The Dark Side wrapped up in the careful movement.  
><em>

_'Why _what_, Incarnís?'  
><em>

_Dooku seemed almost afraid of his answer. ...But Incarnís wasn't exactly sure what there was to be afraid of. Why would he be afraid of a question? What was there to fear in knowledge? Incarnís had so many questions for his master, but the one that came out was, "Why am I a pawn?"  
><em>

_Dooku drew back at that, his eyes widening. But he softened his face, saying, "You are no pawn."  
><em>

_Incarnís was not aware that he took a step forward. He knew argument was dangerous, but he had to. "But I am."  
><em>

_A frown. __"You do not understand-"  
><em>

_"Exactly. I do not understand what you have done to me...and why you would do it. You have made no attempt to explain it to me, and I am left to assume that you want me to remain in ignorance." _

_Dooku did not hold with stupidity, so there must have been something he was hiding. But what? Had he gone too far? Would Dooku ever answer now, or was he too angry with his apprentice's insubordination? The Sith was still silent, having no immediate reply. That could bode good or ill...The only clue was his eyes.  
><em>

_The golden eyes narrowed.  
><em>

_Bad move. He shouldn't have interrupted...But he had to know...Why? _

_Instinctively, the apprentice took a step backwards. Then, Dooku spoke. "I did not take you to be a coward, Incarnís." His master was almost sneering now. Come, stand before me, and I will give you the knowledge you crave. You are not a pawn. You were a great man once, with much potential." Dooku seemed saddened by that, and his eyes darkened.  
><em>

_"Sidious has merely ensured that you would join the Sith. He has rescued you from the narrow-minded Jedi. With me, you can learn all the knowledge of the Dark Side. And, my apprentice, do not forget that knowledge is _power_. " _

_Dooku clenched his fingers, and lifted his face, his eyes sickly yellow. He seemed invigorated by the mere mention of such power. But Incarnís didn't want power. He merely didn't want to be used. _

_Or rather, he wanted to be free.  
><em>

* * *

><p>Dooku inspected his fingernails, a slight sneer on his face. He was thinking. He was angry at Sidious again. But it would never do to show it. So he merely thought about it. That was the surest way to make it grow. To think about the wrongs, and the injustices, while his anger grew, and grew and grew. Think until it became strong enough to swallow the galaxy.<p>

That was power. That was the Dark Side.

His lips twisted into an ironic smile. Someday, he would use his power. He would use it to overthrow Sidious, and rule the galaxy with Kenobi at his side.

Kenobi. He was linked with Dooku's anger. Sidious had _destroyed_ him. The Sith Master had experimented on Dooku's only remaining legacy, merely because it was _convenient_ to do so. Such impatience. Such waste. That would all change when Dooku governed the galaxy. But it was not good to dwell on that too much. Not yet. It would be _inconvenient_ for Sidious to suspect of his treachery. Or at least to have any concrete evidence of it. Because there was always treachery with the Dark Side. It was simply a matter of time. Sith Masters were forced to play a dangerous game in taking an apprentice. One would have to win the apprentice's loyalty. And loyalty was not of the Dark Side. It never lasted.

But Dooku planned on gaining Kenobi's loyalty. It would be a challenge, but Kenobi was loyal to _death_...

Death. Kenobi may as well have been dead. The boy was so different. So much lesser. Dooku was confident that he could have won him to the Dark Side without such...drastic measures. He was wasted. There were plenty of padawans in the galaxy, why had Sidious chosen this one to despoil of his memories? Why turn his grand-padawan into an experiment? He growled. Now Dooku was tasked with restoring him. But if he could...It would be worth it, for Kenobi would always be indebted to him.

Ah, speaking of which, here was the man, coming to ask. He was always asking, and in that, there was a shadow of his former potential. Dooku would've called it hope, but hope was fickle and untrustworthy. Of what use was hoping, when one could be certain with the Dark Side?

"Why?"

Dooku stiffened. _That_ question. It could have so many answers. But Incarnís wasn't stupid. He would want to know something important...

...and Dooku wouldn't be able to tell him. He turned, speaking slowly, and almost venomously. "Why what, Incarnís?"

There was a pause, as if Incarnís wasn't quite sure what it was that he wanted to know.

"Why am I a pawn?" The words were spoken hurriedly, nearly coming out in a jumble. Dooku was surprised. Of all the questions...he certainly hadn't expected that one.

"You are no pawn." It was out of his mouth before he even had time to analyze the question.

Incarnís stepped forward, a look of intensity on his face. "But I am."

_Hmmm_...Dooku would have to answer carefully. If Incarnís realized that his life was not his own, he might very possibly despair, and end it. Dooku took a breath, frowning. "You do not understand - "

"Exactly. I do not understand what you have done to me...and why you would do it. You have made no attempt to explain it to me, and I am left to assume that you want me to remain in ignorance." Incarnís must have been desperate. Dooku had already taught him not to argue. He had made sure it would be a lesson no one could forget, as well. Ah well, it would have to be... reinforced. He didn't hate Kenobi, not by any means, but one had to take care not to have an apprentice who talked back.

Incarnís had taken a step back. Dooku's anger must have shown. He fought down a sneer. "I did not take you to be a coward, Incarnís. Come, stand before me, and I will give you the knowledge you crave. You are not a pawn. You were a great man once, with much potential." _Yes, with much potential. And it was lost, or nearly so, thanks to the carelessness of my 'master'._

"Sidious has merely ensured that you would join the Sith. He has rescued you from the narrow-minded Jedi. With me, you can learn all the knowledge of the Dark Side. And, my apprentice, do not forget that knowledge is _power_. " Power, power. It was endless, there was always more to attain, though it did have it's drawbacks. It was, for instance, highly addicting. However, fore-warned is fore-armed, so they said. He personally only wanted enough to overthrow Sidious.

But Incarnís didn't seem to agree, his face was clouded with thought. Ah yes, now was the time to _remind_ him.

"In the future, my apprentice, I expect no back talk."

Incarnís knelt. "Forgive me master, but I had to know."

_Forgiveness, _**forgiveness**_. Ha! That is nothing but Jedi foolishness. To forgive is to be weak._ "That is not the way of the Sith, my apprentice." Incarnís looked up quickly, his eyes widening with apprehension. _He looks so afraid_. There might have been a twinge of regret as the blue lightning shot from his fingers, striking his unprepared apprentice. That was no way to gain his loyalty. Because loyalty was like trust. And no one trusts those who cause them pain.

The lighting flickered out.

* * *

><p><em>Ehh... *ducks* You won't kill us, will you? On second thought... *hides again* Anyway, please review. Between Clone Wars and reviews...we should be able to keep the story coming.<br>_

_**Oh yeah, this chapter is set a years after the one before it. So as you're going to find out in the next chapter, Anakin is 11. And the chapter before this one is set a year after the end of TPM. Make sense?**  
><em>

_**And, just sayin' , we respond to all reviews.  
><strong>_

_~RC & DM_


	7. Insanity, Pass it on

**Here you are. Much later than promised I admit. We went on vacation, and I thought I could get it done before we left...but I guess.. 'it was me who was mistaken. About a great many things.' ;)  
><strong>

Anakin would have been bouncing off the walls - except that, apparently, Jedi didn't bounce off of walls. _And_ he was in a ship. So he settled for bouncing on his toes instead. Without letting it show too much, of course. Jedi were also supposed to hide their emotions. But who cared? He was going on a mission! He got to leave the Jedi Temple! He got to leave Coruscant, and explore the galaxy! ...Well, he wasn't exactly exploring yet. He and his master were only going to one planet. But Master Sho'tan had said it was an exiting planet.

And they were only supposed to help persuade the king, Yohan Fudazarxes to join the Republic. But master Sho'tan would be doing most of that. Anakin would admit that he wasn't the most diplomatic eleven-year old. Wheedling and bargaining had there places, but Anakin much preferred using his Jedi status, or when that didn't work, his strength, to get what he wanted. Not to mention persuading people took lots of talking. And when Anakin talked for a long time, he always ended up sounding stupid. Master Sho'tan had already told him not to say anything, but just to watch. Master had said it was so Anakin could learn how to negotiate, but he knew better. Sho'tan just didn't want him to accidentally make them both look like idiots. Anakin didn't mind, though. He could probably go exploring...

There it was! The planet! Fudaz, master Sho'tan had called it. Anakin had tried not to laugh when he heard that. It sounded like a sneeze! But of course, his master noticed anyway, and, fighting back a smile himself, had warned Anakin not to say anything about how strange he thought it sounded.

* * *

><p>One successful landing later, Anakin and Master Sho'tan were making their way towards the king's palace. There were people everywhere though. Weird people. Pink people, green people, yellow people, blue people, people with lots of colors all over them... People with hair that stuck out in weird directions as if it was challenging gravity. People, people, people, and not a normally colored one to be seen.<p>

"Master," he asked, "Why are there so many people everywhere?"

Sho'tan lowered his accented voice and said, "Because Padawan, this is the Festival of ...BkqæҖǖйahm."

_"What?"_

Sho'tan sighed. "It's a festival to their Bantha god, BkqæҖǖйahm."

"Oh." _ They worships Banthas here? _ Banthas were dumb as toast - what did that say about the people of Fudaz? Anakin tried not to think about it. _  
><em>

The boy suddenly felt self-conscious. He was the only person who looked...normal. He tried hard not to stare up at them all. He couldn't see any aliens, but it seemed like the humans were _trying_ to be alien. Why they would want that, Anakin had absolutely no clue...

Colors. They were everywhere. Everywhere he looked. He craned his neck up at the sky, trying to get away from them all.

It was green. Bright, Corellian lime green.

Anakin closed his eyes. Only he couldn't leave them closed, because master Sho'tan was tugging him along. It was really hard to walk through a big crowd with your eyes closed, Force or not. So Anakin opened them, plastering on his Jedi mask, and staring straight ahead. They passed through many streets, growing increasingly more majestic (or they would have been, if not for the graffiti-like decorations that covered them.) The Jedi stopped moving in a wide arch, carved from some multicolored stone, and Anakin found him self staring at a triangle of colorful stomachs. He looked up, curious.

"Hey man, thanks for comin' - " The voiced stopped with a gasp, and Anakin saw the two men behind the king had jabbed him hard in the ribs, one from each side.

"Welcome to Fudaz, Master Jedi, and...Jedi." The king began in a much more stately tone. But it was kinda messed up because he was trying to glare at the guys behind him, and it almost sounded like he was gritting his teeth. Anakin hoped he wasn't mad at Master Sho'tan.

Master Sho'tan replied in a Jedi voice like nothing happened, "Thank you, your majesty."

Then, the two Jedi followed the king and his...side-kicks, or what ever they were into the palace. Master Sho'tan and King Yohan talked, and talked, and talked. Anakin decided that his master sounded a lot smarter than the king, but to be fair, he wasn't listening for most of it. At first, he only stared at the beautiful palace when he was sure no one was looking at him. Then he stopped paying attention to the other people. Then he saw everything there was to see and got bored. Master Sho'tan and the king were _still_ talking. He didn't understand how anybody could talk for so long without deciding anything.

_Master, just mind-trick him. You've been talking for _hours_._ Anakin put up shields, not wanting to hear the reprimand. He could at least suggest the idea. Who knows? Master Sho'tan might be as desperate as he was. It was worth a try, anyway...

The next thing King Fudazarxes said caught his attention though. "This is getting boring. I mean, I keep sayin' - " The king fell silent, having received two hearty jabs. It had taken his Royal Pokers longer to get there this time. "Master Jedi, I fear I have kept you too long. Allow my servants to show you to your quarters. We can finish this discussion tomorrow. I will be slightly more amenable to your suggestions, however, if you do me the favor of presiding at a few of our celebrations."

About half of what he said was lost on Anakin, but he caught the most important part. They were free!

"As you wish, your majesty." Sho'tan replied.

_Sheesh master. You don't have to boot-scrape. _Anakin could sense Sho'tan wanted to smile._  
><em>

_Hush padawan. Besides, a little flattery goes along way. You ought to know that by now. But it works especially well on a large ego. _Anakin could see the look that would be on his master's face, had they been alone. It would be that weird little impish smile that all Twi'leks could do.

* * *

><p>Sho'tan could not believe this. True, the Council had said this planet would be a little odd, but most outer-rim planets with small need for trade were a little odd. Fudaz was not 'a little odd'. It was...well, there weren't really any words, but <em>'majorly bizarre'<em> came to mind. To be fair, it was the festival of BkqæҖǖйahm, or as he had mentally named it, Unprõnoûnceablë.

Anakin seemed to be taking it fairly well...Or maybe he was just too shocked to respond. No matter, it was probably better than him asking questions at all hours of the day and night. His padawan did seem to be getting rather antsy though. Sho'tan was glad the negotiations were ended for the day. As they strode along wide, neon corridors, the aid sent to guide them chattered about how magnificent the festival of BkqæҖǖйahm was. Sho'tan practically ignored him, simply nodding and 'hmming' at all the right places. In fact the Jedi Knight was ignoring most of his surroundings-

"For FUDAZ!"

_SPLAT!_

_Squueeeaakkk...  
><em>

A gentle thud followed, and then loud applause. He already was craning his neck at the first noise.

The cause of these strange noises was revealed to be an even stranger sight. Behind them, leaning, or on closer inspection, smashed up against the glass window, was a man. A purple man. As Sho'tan watched, amazed, a team of people approached and scraped the purple man off the king's window. As soon as he was out of the way, Sho'tan saw another man (this one was orange) charge the window, as if he would go through it. _  
><em>

"For FUDAZ!"

_SPLAT!_

_Squueeeaakkk..._

"What...?" Sho'tan managed to ask the aid._  
><em>

"They're Wall-Splatting!" The aid sounded enthusiastic and peppy, as always. "Would you care to try it?" He looked as if he actually _meant_ it.

"Ah, no thank you." Sho'tan thought fast. They were supposed to 'preside'...he would need a viable excuse not to.

"The Jedi have a sacred ordinance against 'Wall-Splatting'." Beside him, Anakin nodded fervently.

"Oh. Too bad. It looks so awesome!"_ Awesome. Yes, very 'awesome'._

The aid sighed, apparently wanting to stay and watch. "This way."

* * *

><p>Sho'tan rose with the sun. Normally, the Jedi Master would've slept another hour, but the sunrise was an odd color, due to the green sky. Oh well, he would make the best of his early awakening, and meditate until his padawan awoke. Anakin slept like a log, as usual. He was slightly apprehensive about 'presiding' today, given yesterday's...demonstration, but he would make the best of it. <em>I am, after all, a Jedi. What could happen?<em> T_hough I suppose I shouldn't jinx myself... _And he slipped into meditation. _Gah!_ The Force was a cacophony of the insanity that was Fudaz. There would be no peace that way. Sho'tan sighed. He would be fairly relieved to leave this planet.

"Ah padawan, you're up."_  
><em>

"Bleeaarg..."

"Good morning to you too." Sho'tan's lips quirked up. Anakin used to be up at the crack of dawn... probably because of his old life. More recently though, he had become...less aware in the mornings.

* * *

><p>After breakfast (and when Anakin was sufficiently awake enough to function), the master and padawan departed from the safety of their apartments to go out and preside. Hopefully they could do it without injury or embarrassment...<p>

* * *

><p>Having spent most of the day watching things like Mental Camel Swallowing ("Yeah, it's mental, alright," Anakin had commented) and the 100 meter Sausage Toss, and after meeting more people than Sho'tan could remember, the two Jedi were returning to the king's palace to tell him of their doings and, hopefully, finish negotiations.<p>

But such a normal day was not to be.

As the master and padawan threaded their way through the jubilant crowd, the raised voice of a storyteller caught their attention. The young man had attracted a fairly large gathering as he spoke and gestured, telling the story of BkqæҖǖйahm, apparently...

"And therefore BkqæҖǖйahm, being mightily cheesed off, rolleth his eyes and sayeth unto himself, 'Woop-de-frickin-doo' "-

But his account was cut short by a thin reedy voice wailing, "Ye gods Bob!" A stool came flying from within a nearby tent, presumably hurled by the owner of said voice. "That's not how the story goes!"

'Bob' ignored the voice, dodged the stool with an ease that spoke of much practice, and continued on with his certainly _altered _tale, of which the two Jedi didn't stay to here the end.

As they again hurried on their way, a small, and almost plaintive voice from Sho'tan's side asked,

"Master?"

"Yes, Anakin?"

"I hate rainbows."

* * *

><p><strong>Insanity. Pass it on.<strong>

**~DarthMihi and RandomCelt  
><strong>

_This is the most crack that will ever be in Incarnis_**, so if you didn't like it, please don't stop reading. Trust us, you're going to need it in the next chapters. There's some nice angst coming up. And if you liked it that's great. There will be humor, just not on such a...grand scale.*grins*  
><strong>

**P.S. King Fudarxes the Hip, Bob the story-teller, and Fudaz all belong to us. However, while the idea of BkqæҖǖйahm being a bantha god _does_ belong to us, the name belongs to Beezlemona. And the sentence about being mightily cheesed off belongs to Araloth the Random. They're both awesome. You should check them out.  
><strong>

**And after all that, please review? We really want to know what you think about Fudaz.  
><strong>


	8. Unto Long Glory

_**This chapter is set four years after the previous one.**_

* * *

><p>Sidious stood alone in the ruins. And that was how he had arranged it, for this sort of exercise required solitude. Or rather, it required the concentration that solitude brought best. Currently, he was sending small ripples into the Force. They went out from him to deceive the Jedi into coming here. Or rather, to send two of their own who were nearby.<p>

He had to be careful though, to make the ripples neither dark nor light. The Jedi must not be too cautious. They must not think that they go to face a Sith, only that it was some petty Force-user. The ripples fled from him, laced with light and darkness, but also with a subtle Force-suggestion to come. Come, and face their doom.

He smiled.

* * *

><p>Here they were, another diplomatic mission. Over the three years he had been going on missions, Anakin had become wary of <em>this<em> kind of mission. He seemed to have a knack for messing up diplomatic procedures... whether it was saying something stupid, or breaking some sacred tradition that made no sense anyway, there was a lot of missions involving senators and the like that he'd rather forget. But master Sho'tan was actually renown in the Temple for his success with diplomacy. He had been gone on several missions and left his padawan behind...which was fine with Anakin, but the Chancellor had requested that Anakin go with his master on this mission. It was coming to a close, and nothing bad had happened yet.

But there were little ripples in the Force coming from a planet in the same system. It wasn't really a big deal, he sensed stuff like that all the time, but he was curious about these. He had noticed them, but then the Jedi Council commed them, telling the two Jedi to investigate once they finished negotiations. He wanted to go, and leave master Sho'tan to finish with the kriffin' politicians, but his master wouldn't hear of it. So they were going together.

* * *

><p>Dooku paced. He was...unable to act. That in itself was unusual, and it irked him. Incarnís had been acting strange lately. Dooku knew why, but there wasn't anything he could do to fix it. Another side effect of Sidious' meddling. He frowned. It had been three years since he had first been charged with Incarnís' keeping, and still he felt himself angered at his 'master' for what he had done to the boy. At first, he had been able to reconcile himself to it, because now he had the chance to train Kenobi as a Sith by his side. Only that had proved difficult, if nigh on impossible, for there wasn't much of Kenobi left, save his insatiably curiosity. Or if there was more of Kenobi left, Incarnís hid it well. Dooku could sense that Incarnís had no trust for Dooku, though he did have a tentative sort of loyalty.<p>

But now, Incarnís would sometimes still, staring into the distance. Or, he would fall to his knees, clutching his head. Dooku had only seen him do this a few times, since he normally let Incarnís go where he willed, except when he had need of him. But all in all, he found it rather annoying, especially since Incarnís had told him next to nothing about why he did so. Dooku had only manged to learn that Incarnís was seeing something. Memories, by the way he had described them. And apparently, he had no control over when this happened. And apparently, it was painful.

Dooku guessed that these..._memories_ were stirred up when Incarnís saw something that reminded him of memories Sidious had hidden from him. And there was nothing Dooku could do about it. Hence the pacing.

* * *

><p>"Tyranus." Sidious sounded pleased with himself.<p>

"Yes, my Master?" Dooku appeared rather bored, inspecting his finger nails. It was dangerous to show such 'disrespect' to a Sith lord, but Dooku had often done dangerous things.

"It is time. You will go to the planet of Cwyrr."

Dooku bowed his head and said in a submissive voice, "Yes, my master." Sidious appeared to be in an almost cheery mood. Dooku would make the best of it while he could. After all, these moments could very useful later.

* * *

><p>And so it was that the Sith and his half-apprentice came to the planet Cwyrr. The thing that immediately impressed itself upon the Sith about this planet was the sense of mournfulness that came from it. The planet was not extraordinarily striking in appearance, a grey orb hanging in space, but it seemed to radiate a deep sorrow, as if it were mourning for the lost deeds done on it's surface. But such poetical thoughts were not becoming of a Sith, so Dooku pushed them away, turning his mind to the reason he ever journeyed to this planet.<p>

He was come to fetch his replacement, and the irony of it was not lost on him. Oh, he pretended to believe his 'master'. He was not foolish enough to give any indication that he knew all too well why it was that the Dark Lord wanted Skywalker. Let him talk of a more fitting apprentice for Dooku than Incarnís. Dooku smiled sardonically as the grey orb approached. He would have made an end of the boy long ago when he caught the first wind of Sidious' plan, but for the man's warning that any 'accidents' would be considered Dooku's fault, and would be dealt with as such. He was not yet strong enough to defy his master, but he would be...

He would be. And Sidious would pay for _ever_ thinking to replace him. And with such an undisciplined _boy_. Dooku sneered.

But now, as they entered the planet's atmosphere, Dooku saw that it was autumn here, and beneath them was a rolling carpet of red. Like the life-blood draining away. How fitting.

It was indeed mournful here. The only sign that anyone had ever lived here were the ruins. Tall, stone spires, broken at the peak, archways rising out of nothingness... And it was overcast on this day, as if the sun had no wish to see the deed he would commit here. It was desolate. All in all, a good place for a Jedi to die.

* * *

><p>The planet was beautiful. Full of an ancient sadness that was entirely lacking in any of the other worlds Incarnís had been to. Not that there were many, but still, this planet stood out...<p>

Incarnís carefully sensed Dooku as they walked down the ship's ramp. He was angry, but not at Incarnís...it was the kind of anger Incarnís often felt from Dooku. The hidden kind. Dooku hid many of his emotions...or at least, he thought he did. Incarnís had grown talented at subtly sensing Dooku's emotions before approaching him.

He stared at the trees above him. Red. The most vibrant red he had ever seen. Living red.

He glanced back at Dooku. It would be some time before he was needed. Perfect. He padded forward, towards the ruined towers among the trees. This planet fascinated him, and he hoped to learn as much as possible while here. And a good way to learn was to explore.

Standing amidst what was left of something that appeared to have been a cathedral, he realized something strange. There was not the usual traces of animal life. Nothing lived in the ruins. There were hardly any plants, only a little moss, or ivy growing here and there. It should have been eerie, but it was only silent. A place of remembering. As he walked through a carpet of copper leaves, a dark stained stone caught his eye. He examined it closely, and realized that the stain was blood - ancient blood; long ago, there must have been a battle here. A place for remembering, indeed. And the walls - instead of laying flat on the ground, where they would have fallen from age, they still stood, save in a few places where they appeared to have been blasted out on one side. More signs of a fight. But he had been able to find nothing on the history of this planet...though admittedly, his search had been short.

"Come. I sense the Jedi will arrive soon. All must be in readiness for their coming." Incarnís could tell Dooku had spoken this with a malicious smile. He sighed. Dooku always called when he did not want to go.

"Yes, master." He slipped in beside Dooku. The man had chosen a place looking down into a stone courtyard with all but one of it's walls still standing. The other three were jagged grey against a lighter sky.

Incarnís sensed Dooku sending one last pulse into the Force, to lead the Jedi right to them. He stretched out his senses, searching for them. Ah yes, they came.

The ship landed just outside the courtyard. Incarnís carefully sensed the Jedi within. One was a master, of close to it. The other was certainly not as controlled in the Force. The apprentice. Incarnís settled lower in his hiding place, unconsciously drawing the Force closer about him. He would see the death of a Jedi this day. And he wished not to.

Incarnís watched as the landing ramp descended, and a boy walked down it, looking curiously around him. He looked to be about Incarnís' height, but as with most growing boys, he was lanky. Incarnís could sense a cockiness that bordered on arrogance radiating from the boy. No wonder Dooku didn't like him. But, Incarnís thought sadly, it would be useful in turning him to the Dark Side.

The Jedi Master followed the boy, calling out in an accented tone, "Padawan, it is unwise to go sticking your nose into trouble. Stay with me."

The boy turned at his master's voice, and waited, if a little unwillingly, kicking at the crimson leaves. _Already stained with blood_, Incarnís thought.

The master came into view, striding easily toward them. A tall, green-skinned Twi'lek, with high cheekbones and almond eyes. He remembered what the Sith had told him: _Engage the apprentice, and I with deal with the master._ Incarnís saw the dark gleam in Dooku's eyes and knew the Twi'lek would die that day.

The boy looked around himself apprehensively. he glanced back at his master. "There's something here."

"Of course there is. Otherwise we would not have come." The master sounded faintly amused, but his face was worried.

The boy shook his head, padawan braid swinging wildly. "No, Master! I mean right he-"

His sentence was cut off by a saber's hum as Dooku rose from the shadows. The Master's eyes widened and his padawan let out a small cry of shock. Dooku only smiled.

Two blue blades flickered to life. Incarnís also activated his blade, and both Jedi's gazes swung in his direction for a moment.

"Two against two. How fitting." Dooku laughed softly as he advanced.

Incarnís sprang forward, engaging the apprentice, even as the Twi'lek locked blades with Dooku.

* * *

><p>Sho'tan looked about him as he came down onto this planet. It was a rather odd planet. Given how it's entirety had been blanketed in clouds when they entered the atmosphere, the Twi'lek wondered if the sun ever shone here. But it was fitting that way he thought, looking to the ruins rising out of the trees.<p>

But now his apprentice was about to enter the ruins which they had landed in front of. Sho'tan hadn't wanted to scare the boy, but he was fairly worried about the disturbance in the force that had brought them here. It had had a distinct dark undercurrent, though well-hidden. So now, the knight descended the ramp, telling his wayward apprentice to stay by his side.

Anakin turned, waiting, but Sho'tan sensed a spike of worry from him. "Master, there's something here."

"Of course there is. Otherwise we would not have come." He tried to sound amused, there was no need to worry Anakin.

But the boy was certain. "No, Master! I mean right he-"

He was both interrupted and proved right by the hum of a saber. Sho'tan froze for a second, eyes swiftly finding the source. A tall, dark man...and one who seemed faintly familiar. Beside him, Anakin gasped. But the man only smiled.

Instinctively, the knight activated his blade, stepping in front of his apprentice. But Anakin didn't want to be protected. The boy's saber glowed blue beside his master's. _Blast! There are two! __I have a bad feeling about this._

The man advanced, his proud face cruel. "Two against two. How fitting." His voice sounded like he looked. Refined. Deadly.

And then, before Sho'tan could think rightly about his strategy, it was begun. The second man leapt on Anakin, even as Sho'tan parried the first's skilled thrust.

This man was a very cunning fighter. But Sho'tan was having trouble staving away his worry enough to concentrate on the battle. The Jedi knight was beginning to fear that this was a Sith he was fighting. His opponent drew strongly on the Dark Side, and he was an accomplished duelist. Certainly trained in the arts of the Jedi. So now the Twi'lek was forced to concentrate hard on defending himself, barely able to go on the offensive, and, he was attempting to keep an eye on his apprentice. _Calm_, he ordered himself.

They raged, they danced, they locked blades. On and on they fought, and as they went, Sho'tan was left with the distinct feeling that this man - this monster, was playing with him, as a cat toys with a mouse...before striking the killing blow.

_Master!_

Sho'tan barely blocked the blow directed at his neck. As he strained against his assailant, he spared a glance to his padawan. The Sith apprentice had him in a headlock, his blood-red saber close to Anakin's throat. The boy's dark eyes were wide and frightened. Sho'tan realized in a heartbeat's time the mistake he had made, but it was far too late. He had for moment forgotten the enemy before him - a mistake that no warrior could ever afford. The Sith's ruby blade flashed down...

...Into his thigh. Sho'tan gasped, falling to his knees. Through a haze of pain, he watched the Sith prowl around him, his costly boots echoing on the stones. The knight saw the world around him grow oddly clear for a few moments; and detached, he took it in: The grey stones beneath him, the red trees over him, the arches and broken statues resting around him - and the grey sky above it all. Then he became aware of the Sith's voice, and the rich hum of a saber behind him, flickering softly.

"Did you really think..." The voice seemed dark and somehow sad. "Did you really think to defeat me? You are only a pawn in a greater game." The Sith came to stand before him. Again, Sho'tan felt that he was the hunted, and here was the hunter. The saber in the Sith's hand flicked up and down like a living thing. His voice was proud and hard now. There was none of the sadness, and no regret.

"Give me your apprentice, and I will end your pain."

"Monster." The whisper escaped him.

But the only response was a sneer. Sho'tan summoned all his strength, realizing that there would be no leaving this courtyard for him. He opened his bond with Anakin, sharing as much love and comfort as he could - without flooding the boy with pain. _Anakin, be strong, Anakin, do not forget... Anakin... I love you, padawan._

_Master! I'll save you... Don't say that!_

_Farewell... I'm sorry. I love you. __Anakin._

Sho'tan closed the bond, severing trust and friendship; not wanting Anakin to feel his dying pain... Or the emptiness that must come after. Once more, he looked at Anakin, focusing on his apprentice, until the Sith's blade came arcing down in an angry fire, and his eyes slipped shut against the pain. Dimly, he heard Anakin's panicked cry, and the wind answer hollow. Slowly, all the world faded, and his heartbeats blurred into eternity.

* * *

><p>Perhaps if this Jedi had been alone, he would have spared him this pain. But he was not alone. There was no nobility in barbarism, nor pride in savagery, but he <em>hated<em> Skywalker, and this was his power over the boy. He watched impassively as the Jedi before him struggled to remain conscious. Dooku circled him slowly, his lightsaber flickering in his hand like a cat's tail.

"Give me your apprentice, and I will end your pain." If this Jedi surrendered his apprentice, it would cause the boy to feel betrayed...which would be both satisfying and useful. But judging by his face...

"Monster." it was barely a whisper, but Dooku would never be able to forget it. He stiffened, for he liked to believe that he was human. Dooku looked down, coolly regarding the fallen Jedi before him. He was about to reply, when he sensed Skywalker behind him; desperate, reckless anger filling the boy. What an annoyance. A quick blow to the heart, and the Jedi was dead. Now for Skywalker. Dooku turned swiftly, catching the boy's blade. It was but the work of a moment to send it spinning from his inexperienced fingers.

Dooku curled his fingers, the Force flowing through them.

Skywalker rose into he air, grasping at his throat. The Count would've stuck the boy down here, but for Sidious' promise. Even in his anger, he was still sharply aware that he was not strong enough to openly defy Sidious. And he was angered that this boy could cause him to lose control by merely _being_.

* * *

><p><strong>Master! <strong>

Anakin ripped free from his captor's hands, barely noticing that behind him, the man crumpled to his knees.

_This. Is. Not. Happening. _

He was in shock as he pounded across the courtyard towards his master...and the man who had killed him. But the shock was fading, and anger rose within him, billowing up like a thunder cloud.

He would _die_. The man would die for ever having dared to hurt his master. His master's saber flew to his hand, igniting as it came. He brought it above his head, to kill this murderer with all his strength, but the older man moved from under it. _Coward_. Anakin struck at him again, with all the strength he could muster, desperate to kill this man. A quiet voice in his mind told him that he was acting out of anger, but he had done that before and won. He silenced the voice, straining against the tall man's saber. His breath came heavily, through clenched teeth, but that wasn't important. He had to win this fight. He _had_ to. For master Sho'tan. The red blade circled, then flicked his own saber out of his grasp.

_No!_ Anakin sprang at the man, hands outstretched, but he never made contact. He was rising into the air and he couldn't - _breathe_. Everything was going black, and the only thing he could see was the sneering face of a murderer.

* * *

><p><em>We know, we know. Quite a change from the other one...not to mention the evil cliffie. Sorry, but we've wanted one of those for a while. So, yeah. Sho'tan is dead. He had to die for the sake of the plot. You'll see why in the next chapter. Also in the next chapter, Sho'tan will get a decent burial, and Anakin will have some more angst about it. But it won't be all sad. Anyway, I'm very proud of this chapter...it's our longest one yet. <em>

**I have so many things swirling around in my brain that I should tell you, that if I did, this A/N would be waaayy to long. So, if you have any questions, or something doesn't make sense, please tell us, so we can fix it.**_  
><em>

**_Please review? We're dying to know what you think._ **

**_P.S. We're putting the poll (vote for whichever chars. you want to show in future chaps) back up, but this will be the last time, because we're on to a new stage with this fic.  
><em>**

**_~DarthMihi and RandomCelt  
><em>**


	9. And in Dreams: An Apology

_He shouldn't have to see this. No one should be forced to watch someone they love be killed._ Struck with the thought, Incarnis twisted the boy out around to face him, fingers tightly grasping his shoulders. The half-Sith took this chance to study the young Jedi's features, his eyes flickering over the boy's face. But he was struck by the anger and fear that were fighting there. Perhaps, indeed, Sidious was right, and this boy was ripe for the Dark Side...though Incarnis had been hoping it would not be so.

Incarnis looked into the boy's eyes again, intending to discern if there was anything that did not lead to darkness there. But he did not get his answer. Those eyes... They were blue. A striking blue, like the sky, but darker...and he had seen them before...

_The world spun and shifted around him, colors blurring and changing... A desert. A silver ship. Sky without end. He was looking down at a small boy, who stood beneath his gaze, azure eyes oddly persistent. His eyes! Incarnis knew those eyes - the same shade as before. But now the the blue was rising around him, a deep and endless tide. Now he was staring up into the sky, half blinded by twin suns. Two figures were silhouetted there, one tall and purposeful, the other other seemed hopeful, hiding fear. A deep voice spoke. _

_"Hurry, Anakin!"_

_The cerulean sky shifted, becoming darker, darker. Black - shot through with flame. And he was burning. He tried to follow the figures, but they hurried past him, away from the flames. His own voice cried out, raw and strained. "Master! Don't leave me!" But what master was this? The fire intensified, robbing him of conscious thought. The pain became unbearable, and then faded slowly, leaving him trapped in a clear, hard world. He was surrounded by people, some old, some young, all with expressions of grief on their faces. It was dark, but all was stained with a fire's light. He turned. A funeral pyre. The tall figure rested amid the flames, slowly turning to ash. He was filled with an overwhelming sense of sadness. The fire rose up around him, shutting out the faces and the cool twilight beyond, leaving nothing but leaping red and absolute darkness. Pain welled up within him as shadow and flame flowed into a new dimension. Black and red patterns, swirling and stabbing across a twisted face. A red saber flashed in the blackness beyond. Incarnis stumbled backward, away from pain and despair. He whispered,' I killed you', without knowing why. The face hardened.  
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_"Then die." The flames swallowed him.  
><em>

Incarnis' eyes flew open. He was again kneeling on the cold stones of Cywr, (sp)and not staring into that horrible face. _It was a vision, only a vision,_ he told himself. The half-Sith took a moment to breath, letting the pain flow away. _But the boy, where is he?_

_Ah, with Dooku, of course._ Incarnis turned his eyes away from the choking boy. There was nothing he could do. But there was something he could for the boy's master. Incarnis had felt a sort of respect for the Twi'lek, for certainly he had loved his padawan. And there had been no fear in his eyes when Dooku's saber came down. The red haired man frowned. It had not been part of Sidious' orders to kill the Twi'lek, only a cruel act by Dooku...to spite the boy? His feet carried him to the fallen Jedi, and Incarnis looked down on his calm face and almond shaped eyes. They would never see again.

He summoned the Force, lifting the fallen Jedi with effort. The least he could do was to see that the Jedi received a proper burial. A glance at his master showed him to be standing over the boy, potent anger creeping up his stony face.

**Guys? I'm sorry, that's all I've got. I've been Loki'd. But there aren't any good clean fics in Thor or The Avengers, so maybe I'll be back to SW. I do miss my epic AUs. But for now... I'm afraid I'll be saying good bye to dear Obi-Wan, Anakin, and everyone else. I'm sorry to leave this fic uncompleted, and at one of the darkest parts of the story. I'll have you know, it only gets better form here... Or it was supposed to. It doesn't help that Clone Wars is so un-epic right now. It's all Disney's fault. ;) I'm sorry, my friends... **

**~DarthMihi**


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